


killing me softly

by chapple



Category: VIXX
Genre: Hitman AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2018-12-26 08:09:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12054849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chapple/pseuds/chapple
Summary: Hakyeon is a hitman and Taekwoon runs a ramen shop[hitman au]





	1. 1000

**Author's Note:**

> this was also crossposted in [tumblr](https://mamichu.tumblr.com/post/165169084075/) ♥

"Hyung, you've only got few minutes to finish the job," Sanghyuk reminded Hakyeon just as the latter was stepping inside the office. "Ken-hyung's by the entrance. Let me know when you're about to go—Also, according to the sched, the target should be reaching you soon." 

"Got it. Thanks, Hyogi," Hakyeon said, shutting the door and quickly double checking if there were any secret cameras in the room that Jaehwan might have missed. It was a precaution that he had developed years ago. After all, he wouldn't want to put his job in jeopardy by being careless. 

Hakyeon positioned himself by the cabinet near the desk, a blind spot that Jaehwan had made sure would conceal him just in case someone were to walk inside the office while he was doing his job. He took a deep breath and then released it from his mouth. Their target could be walking in any minute now and even with years of experience behind him, it still made him anxious to wait— 

"Hold on, Hyogi. Taekwoonie's calling," Hakyeon muttered all of a sudden when his boyfriend called, not even letting Sanghyuk finish his complaining about doing his job discreetly and not letting his personal life interfere with it. "Hi, Taekwoonie!" He answered sweetly, his frown from just seconds ago was replaced with a smile. With his anxiety ebbing away, Hakyeon finally had the courage to tug at the garrote on his belt and held each handle firmly. "How are you—?" 

Just then, he heard the footsteps outside of the office, followed by the slow creaking of the door. That must be the target, Hakyeon thought. 

"Are you going to be here for lunch?" Taekwoon asked over the noise of the kitchen and the buzzing of customers in the background. Hakyeon could only imagine him using both of his hands to cook and his phone tucked between his shoulder and ear. The mere fact that his boyfriend was going so far as to multitask just to ask him that question made him feel him all giddy inside. He very well knew that he should not be feeling that way especially since the target was nearing the desk and cabinet where he was hiding at, but he just couldn't help it. 

Soon enough, the shadow of the man appeared within Hakyeon's line of sight. He counted the seconds in his head before he stepped out of his hiding spot and launched himself at the man, quickly lifting his arms up and then tightening the wire of his garrote around the man's neck. "Yes, of course, Woonie!" He replied, enthusiastic about the invitation. "I'll be there for lunch, I promise." The man before him had struggled against his chest and gasped, clawing at his neck first and then trying to rid of Hakyeon's gloved hands next. 

"I see," Taekwoon said softly. Hakyeon guessed that his boyfriend must had temporarily stepped out of the kitchen to speak to him and listen to him properly without any noise drowning away his or Hakyeon's voice. Because of this, Taekwoon could probably also catch the chokes and grunts that Hakyeon's target was making. It was a problem that he had encountered before when his boyfriend had accidentally called him while he was also on the job. His victim was screeching so loud and Hakyeon was on full panic, racking his brains out for some kind of excuse. Before he could thoroughly think things through, he blurted out that he was working at a massage shop. There had been silence on the other end of the line for a little while until Taekwoon spoke again and scolded him for using his phone while he was still working. Hakyeon nervously laughed, " _But you're calling me while you're working too!_ " Right after that, the subject was dropped and not brought up ever again. 

" _Shh_ ," Hakyeon warned the man although it was futile. He could already feel him lose the fight for his life in him, his body slowly sagging. "I'll try to get there as soon as I can," he told his boyfriend. "What's the best time for me to drop by? I don't think I have a lot of appointments today so I could adjust my lunchtime depending on what time you want." 

"Whenever you can. I'll eat with you," Taekwoon mumbled. There was a pause before he said, "I need to go back." 

"Okay, I'll see you later then!" Hakyeon secured the wire tightly around the man's neck to make sure that he had perfectly finished his job. The man had already stopped making noises altogether, his arms had dropped to his side, and his body fell against Hakyeon's. Normally, the weight would have made Hakyeon wince because, as he always complained, bodies were ' _heavy_.' But now, because he was feeling excited about his lunch date, he couldn't seem to care about it at all. "Love you!" He added quickly as an afterthought while he quietly dragged the man's limp body under the desk. 

Hakyeon waited for his boyfriend to return the words back to him but it never happened. The only thing that answered him was the sound of a dropped phone call, followed by Sanghyuk's frantic ' _Hyung! Where the hell are you?_ ' but he didn't mind—not when he was still ecstatic about what he and his boyfriend might be having for lunch. Hakyeon skipped over the body and made his way to the door. "I just finished, Hyogi. Calm down," he giggled. "No one's catch on yet, right? Tell Ken to wait for me at the basement parking. I'd rather go through the staff's exit since I'm dressed up like one after all. Might as well, you know?" 

" _Fine_ ," Sanghyuk grumbled. "But hurry up!" 

"Yes, yes," Hakyeon sing-sang, glancing at both sides of the hall before closing the office's door behind him. The problem of CCTV cameras had been taken care of by both Jaehwan and Sanghyuk so he could practically prance around the halls and there would be no evidence of his visit there at all. Even the office workers were too focused on whatever they were doing, never even glancing his way or lifting their gazes from their computer screens; it was just as Jaehwan had informed him. Hakyeon then pushed the cleaning cart that he brought with him and went back through the same way that he came in. 

* * *

"What took you so long, hyung?" Jaehwan immediately asked him as he opened the passenger's seat door. "We already planned everything out and you're minutes behind! Maybe Hyuk was right—You _are_ getting old and slow." 

"I have a lunch date with Taekwoonie!" Hakyeon chirped, sitting himself down on his seat and pulling the door shut after him. He was now dressed in casual clothes: a common black cap, shirt and trousers. "And I'm not _that_ late, for your information. I made it out alive and I'm here now, aren't I?" 

Jaehwan rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the wheel. "Well, you wouldn't be having that ' _lunch date with your Taekwoonie_ ' if we're late for our flight," he said, mocking the way that Hakyeon spoke. "It's not every time that we ask you to hurry up and it's not even because you might get caught—It's that we have a plane to catch!" 

"Good thing I'm not there," Sanghyuk's voice came from the speakers. "I'd probably die of waiting. It's like playing Overwatch with a slow internet connection except that it's N-hyung and you can't replace him like you could replace your broadband— _Or can you_?" 

"I know that you guys love me," Hakyeon said confidently, settling his head on the headrest and shutting his eyes close. "You could never live without hyung." 

Jaehwan murmured a soft ' _eww_ ,' while Sanghyuk feigned retching noises. 

" _Shush_ , only sweet dreams now," Hakyeon tutted. "Wake me up when we're at the airport." With that, he let himself relax on his seat and soon, within minutes, he drifted off to sleep. Even with Jaehwan's efforts to get them through the traffic, his accelerated driving, and the car swaying left and right, Hakyeon didn't open his eyes. It was almost as if he was sleeping in a comfortable king sized bed with how peaceful he had been sleeping. Only when Jaehwan shook his shoulder did Hakyeon's eyelids flutter open. "Are we at the airport now?" He asked softly. 

"Yeah, come out, hyung." Jaehwan grabbed him by the elbow and forced him out of the car seat. He tossed the car keys at some man that Hakyeon didn't manage see as he was whisked away to the airport entrance before he could make sense of what was happening. It was all a blur to Hakyeon once he was inside the airport and going through the check-in. The one thing that registered to him, though, was when Jaehwan suddenly exclaimed, " _What_? The plane _left_? But we arrived on time!" 

Only then was Hakyeon on full alert, eyes wide with disbelief. He pushed himself forward to face the airport staff behind the check-in counter. "Are you sure that you checked it properly? Our flight is on 11:30!" He took a quick look at the reservation sheets that Jaehwan was holding and then nodded his head when he read the time on the paper right. "It says here that our flight is on 11:30 and it's only a little over 11." 

The woman didn't need to check what was written on the paper and shook her head apologetically. "I apologize for the inconvenience, but there had been a slight change to the schedule. The plane had left a little earlier… If it's not too much trouble, we can book you in for the next flight at 2 in the afternoon." 

" _2_!" Hakyeon cried, throwing his hands up in frustration. "I have a lunch date and I'll be late!" He pushed the reservation papers to Jaehwan's chest and stormed away, leaving him to deal with the airport staff. "I need to call Taekwoon," was what he said, already fishing out for his phone to dial his boyfriend's number. 

* * *

"Taekwoonie!" Hakyeon huffed as soon as he had pushed through the ramen shop's door. There were some customers that looked his way, but he heeded them no attention and went straight to the back where the kitchen was. Already, he could see the frown etched on his boyfriend's face before he could even take a step inside and it was no ordinary frown—Taekwoon looked genuinely upset and it didn't seem to be because of the rush of having to cook ramen for the waiting customers. " _Taekwoon_ …" He murmured, approaching his boyfriend slowly. "I'm sorry I'm late…" 

It was either Taekwoon did not hear him or he was being ignored. Hakyeon found out that it was the latter when he threw his arms around his boyfriend's waist and he was simply brushed aside. He pouted and whined, the explanation of his tardiness tumbling out of his mouth without a break, "I did everything! I tried calling you to tell you that I couldn't make it any earlier like I promised… I would tell you to eat with me now, but…" He looked over his shoulder where he saw Hongbin, one of Taekwoon's employees, struggling to both take orders, clean up tables, and entertain new and old customers. From what he could tell, some waiters did not come in, leaving Hongbin all by himself. The kitchen was no different—Usually, there were others with Taekwoon, but for some reason, he was alone today. 

"You could close early today so we can eat…?" Hakyeon offered, hoping that Taekwoon would take it. But alas, his boyfriend coldly peeled his arms off of his waist and silently continued on with his business. 

As Hongbin arrived to announce more orders, he casted a glance at Hakyeon who was once again clinging to Taekwoon and moaning about being ignored. "Hyung, I really think that you should leave if you're not going to order anything," he advised him, giving Hakyeon what looked like a sympathetic look for the silent treatment that he was receiving from his boyfriend. 

"I'm not leaving until Taekwoon eats with me!" Hakyeon insisted childishly. "We promised that today but he's ignoring me so how are we gonna eat?" He rubbed his cheek on Taekwoon's back, " _Please_ , Taekwoonie? Don't ignore me… It's not my fault that we were busy—" 

" _Leave_ ," Taekwoon hissed when he accidentally spilled the contents of one of the pots because Hakyeon was in his way, holding him back and giving him no space to move around. "I said leave!" He said a little louder when his boyfriend still stood next to him, blocking his way to the sink. 

Hongbin had to escort Hakyeon out of the shop since the latter was too dazed to move from his spot. It was not so much about him being upset that their lunch date didn't happen, he was just stunned at how unfair and childish Taekwoon was acting. They were both _working_ adults, he thought, so why couldn't his boyfriend understand that he didn't manage to arrive on the _perfect_ time for their lunch date? Besides, the first problem came from the fact that they have not set up a proper time for lunch. And second of all, it was just lunch together! Why was it such a big deal? They could always schedule another one next time or they could eat dinner tonight instead—There were plenty of ways to get around the lunch date that they missed, but why did Taekwoon had to sulk like that? Hakyeon heaved a sigh. ' _He must be stressed from work_ ,' he thought sadly, trying to empathize with the workload that he saw Taekwoon and Hongbin were struggling with. ' _Poor Taekwoonie_ …' 

* * *

"Why do you look like that?" Sanghyuk snorted the moment he saw the look on Hakyeon's face as he walked past his desk. "I swear that I thought you were all ' _rainbows_ ' and ' _candies_ ' when you talked about your date or whatever with Leo-hyung earlier. What happened to you? Did your late flight somehow made you look like shit?" 

" _Not now, Hyogi_ …" Hakyeon mumbled absentmindedly, brushing him off. "Hyung needs to rest for the day… Can I stay at your place for a while?" 

"Hate to burst your bubble, hyung." Sanghyuk's gaze returned to the screen of his computer and he typed away whatever it was that he was working on before Hakyeon arrived. "But I gotta brief you on your next job. I've already spoken a little bit with Ken-hyung earlier, but he said that he wanted to take a nap after all that happened today. And since you're not out there wasting time, disturbing Leo-hyung, I thought that this might be the best time to discuss about it." 

"I just don't get it!" Hakyeon groaned, flopping down on one of the chairs nearby and kicking at his feet. "Why was he _so_ upset? It's not like today's a _very_ special day or something. He just decided to have some random lunch date and now he's upset? What the hell is up with that? I don't understand!" 

"You could always make it up to him tonight?" Sanghyuk suggested, grinning mischievously. "On _bed_ , I mean." 

"What had Jaehwan been teaching you? Or was it Hongbin?" Hakyeon had let out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head. "Does your Leo-hyung actually strike you as someone who would easily be swayed like that if you just take him to bed?— _Actually…_ " He trailed off for short while before continuing, "Anyway, this one's different, I swear! He seemed _really_ upset about the whole thing and even snapped at me—Taekwoon _snapped_ at _me_! Can you _actually_ believe that? 'Cause I can't!" He sunk back down on the chair when he was done with his outburst, "I'm tired… Today drained me. I'll figure it out later after I shower and sleep… Can you lend me your keys already?" 

Sanghyuk furrowed his eyebrows as he listened to his complaints. "You must have royally pissed him off then. What'd you do to him, hyung?" He typed at his keyboard in practiced speed and scanned the contents of his screen before he said, " _Ah_ … You know what? I think I've figured it out—If what you've told us is true, today should mark your 1000th day of dating Leo-hyung so…" Peeling his eyes from the calendar on his computer, he stood up from his comfortable seat and searched for Hakyeon behind his monitor. "Yeah… I think that you're the one at fault here. You should beg for forgiveness, hyung." 

" _Shit_!" Hakyeon cursed, rising to his feet at once. "It slipped my mind! I was just thinking about it weeks ago and now—I really forgot! I gotta go," he said, almost near the door. "Brief me next time!" On his way out, Sanghyuk could hear him muttering something along the lines of " _Should buy him latte or something_ ," and " _Maybe I should book a reservation for a date tonight_ ," but he couldn't be bothered to listen any longer because all he could think of afterwards was how _his_ lunch break was wasted. 


	2. iffy

Taekwoon first took notice of his boyfriend's strange interest on otherwise normal objects or tools when Hakyeon was at his kitchen, having just finished his work shift. Like any other time that Hakyeon would step foot inside his kitchen, he was chatting away about how tired he was and how his arms and shoulders were aching. Taekwoon would glare at him, not only because he was in the way, but also because he wasn't helping at all. In other words, he wasn't supposed to be in there, but he had given himself permission anyway. 

And because the only words that Taekwoon had spoken were, "Get out if you're not going to help," his boyfriend shrugged his shoulders, and instead, opted for sauntering around the small kitchen while humming to himself. Shaking his head, Taekwoon finished off scrubbing and washing the last utensils for the night. At times, his boyfriend would peek over his shoulder to check if the sink was nearly empty and would ask if he was done despite the fact that he had eyes to see that Taekwoon was clearly not. Must Hakyeon ask something so obvious? Apparently yes, and Taekwoon didn't want to bother telling him off for such a harmless question. Besides, that was how Hakyeon had always been. 

Upon turning to say that he was ready to go, Taekwoon saw something peculiar sticking out of his boyfriend's handbag. Raising an eyebrow, he quietly approached him and tried to put a name to what it was. 

" _Rope_ ," he murmured the moment he was close enough to see the long twisted fibers. 

Hakyeon jumped with a gasp, surprised that Taekwoon suddenly spoke up. He clutched his chest and faced him. "What are you talking about?" He cried. "You scared me!" 

Taekwoon opened his mouth to explain about the fiber rope inside his bag, but ended up shutting it right back. He shook his head. "Let's go home." 

His boyfriend sighed, a smile breaking out of his face. "Okay. But first, let's take this off of you." Hakyeon put his arms around him, unlacing the apron that he was wearing from behind. Once it was loose, he looked up to Taekwoon and tiptoed to capture his lips for a kiss. 

* * *

The second time was when he was opening the ramen shop at another day. Taekwoon was setting up the tables, putting stainless steel chopsticks on each table and making sure that the condiments and sauces were still enough to last the day (or whether they were nearing their expiration dates). By the time he reached Hakyeon's favourite spot, the always ' _reserved_ ' table by the kitchen, he released a sigh and replaced the soy sauce bottle with a new one as his boyfriend had nearly finished it from always hanging around in the restaurant instead of going to his own workplace. 

As soon as he placed the replacement, however, he heard a thud from underneath the table. He knelt down to see if he might have knocked down something, but he found something else altogether. Taekwoon wouldn't exactly consider what he saw a ' _normal_ ' object or a tool as he didn't know what it might actually be. It was rectangular in shape and it was about the size of his palm. There were no labels on it, but it had a plain, black lanyard attached to it. He turned it over a couple of times, poked at its hard casing, and it didn't budge or make a single noise. Should he ask Hakyeon about it? But would it be worth wasting his time over? There was also the question of whether it belonged to his boyfriend to begin with. The shop was open to the public so surely, someone must have just left their belonging. This, of course, is a normal thing that could happen in places such as his ramen shop. Deciding that he would go with that explanation, he peeked below the table to check if there was anything else that got left behind, but his eyes only narrowed at what he saw. Taekwoon threw all of his earlier theories out and had more questions than he originally did as there was a glaring evidence pointing at Hakyeon as the culprit. On a blind spot of the table, concealed behind a block of wood, were lined up flimsy tapes. Whatever his boyfriend might be up to, he hoped that at least it was safe and not illegal. Because with what he had observed about him lately, he was becoming more suspicious as to what Hakyeon might be up to on his free time. Should he be worried? He lifted the rectangular device near his face to examine it: Could it be a recording device? Or some sort of fidget toy? Taekwoon shook it slightly and listened closely if it would make a sound, but again, there was nothing. 

He rose to his feet and dusted at his knees. For now, he thought that the best course of action would be to let everything play out by itself. If the item was indeed Hakyeon's, he would ask Taekwoon himself or any of the other employees for it. After all, he was certain that he knew his boyfriend enough that he could tell from the look of his face whether or not the rectangular object was important. 

* * *

Since Hakyeon was almost always lounging at ' _his_ ' table or bothering Taekwoon or his employees, when he's actually not in the ramen shop, Taekwoon would wonder where he could be staying. There were times when his boyfriend would mention something about hanging out with his friends, _Hyuk_ and _Ken_ , but there was one particular day when he didn't give him any hints at all. Admittedly, he grew more and more apprehensive as the day went by and Hakyeon had not answered any of his calls or replied to the several messages that he managed to send in between orders. 

It came to the point where he arrived home late at night and there was still no sign of his boyfriend anywhere. He didn't have Hakyeon's friends' numbers to contact either so if he wasn't at home, Taekwoon was prepared to give the police a call to report him as a missing person. But lo and behold, Hakyeon laid still on their couch, his chest rising and falling as he slept in peace. Taekwoon's knees gave out and he dropped to the floor next to his boyfriend. He would have cursed at him for worrying him to death, but at that moment, he was too relieved to even reprimand him for it. 

Taekwoon gently shook his shoulder. " _Hakyeon_." 

His boyfriend stirred and blinked a couple of times. " _Woonie_...?" Hakyeon rubbed at his eyes and tried to pull himself up. "What time is it? Did I... Did I fall asleep? How was work?" 

"Fine." Taekwoon planted a kiss on his forehead. "Wash up and go to bed. I'll be there with you." 

A warm smile pulled at Hakyeon's lips. "I missed you, Taekwoon." Even if he was groggy with sleep, he still saw the surprise on Taekwoon's face. They've been together for quite a long time already, but Hakyeon never ceases to catch him off guard—"I've been making candles, actually! I'm thinking of maybe keeping some and selling the others. Sorry if I didn't visit you today. You were worried, weren't you?" 

Only then did Taekwoon become aware of the abundance of candle glasses and jars all over the table and other flat surfaces that one could find in their place. He almost knocked some over because he was taken aback, but his boyfriend caught him by the arm in the nick of time. ' _Do candles count as something that could potentially be dangerous and worrisome_?' This was one of the thoughts that crossed Taekwoon's mind then. There were a lot of things that he has yet to find out about Hakyeon and the _candle making_?—It wasn't something that his boyfriend was particularly interested in when they got together. Was it possible that it was either one of Hakyeon's friends that got him into it or has it really been that long since they've spent time together instead of working? Taekwoon wouldn't admit it to him out loud especially when he was in a perky mood, but he _did_ miss him. More than that, he also wanted to rest and just lie down next to his boyfriend. It was, after all, one of the few times that Hakyeon wouldn't chatter about random things or tease him simply because he felt like it. 

"What are you thinking of?" Hakyeon asked him, pulling him to sit next to him on the couch. Taekwoon felt inclined to bask in his warmth just as the furniture did when he slept on it earlier. He loved that about him—how he always reminded him of home and comfort. "Should I not do it after all?" 

It was a silly question because Hakyeon always did what he wanted to do anyway. He let his head rest on his boyfriend's shoulder and consequently, the former embraced him. "What made you decide to make these?" Taekwoon mumbled, inching closer to him. "Where'd you get the materials?" 

Without missing a beat, Hakyeon said, "Well, I work at a massage shop and thought of giving scented candles a shot. There was this shop that sells supplies cheaper when you buy in bulks so I thought that I might as well get them in case I make a mistake on my first try." He chuckled, "Of course that didn't happen. It felt as if I've been making candles for years and everything went perfectly." Taekwoon nodded his head as his boyfriend harped on about ' _being a natural_ ' and reached out for the nearest candle on the coffee table to test out its scent—" _Don't touch it!_ " Hakyeon immediately scolded him before he had the chance to stretch out his arm, swatting his hand away. "It hasn't set yet! You can smell it when it's finished." 

Taekwoon scowled, rubbing at the back of his hand. " _Not like I knew..._ " He grumbled. And just like that, he had crossed out the candles from his mental list of weird things that he noticed about Hakyeon. 

* * *

Taekwoon was convinced that the strange rectangular object was the end of it (since the candle making appeared to be an innocent new hobby that Hakyeon had picked up), but it seemed like he thought wrong. It was a little past midnight one day, a few weeks after the whole candle predicament, when he suddenly felt peckish. His boyfriend only recently went inside the bathroom for a late night shower, so he wasn't able to ask him if they still had some food. Left to his own devices, Taekwoon pulled their kitchen cupboards open one by one, rummaging through them, taking their contents out, and haphazardly leaving them on the counters. There wasn't anything in particular that he wanted to have, but he knew what he did _not_ want to eat. Upon reaching their ingredient storage, he spotted Hakyeon's favourite cereal tucked behind all sorts of light snacks and bottles of spices. His favourite cereal box used to sit next to his boyfriend's but he did remember emptying it the other day. 

After he took out all of those at the front, he grabbed Hakyeon's favourite cereal box and examined whether it would make a passable late night food. As a habit, his eyes sought out for the expiration date—And it was past its best before date. In fact, it was out of date for a year already! How could Hakyeon keep expired food in their cupboard? If he falls ill, Taekwoon knew that he would need to get himself at least a week off to take care of him. 

He opened the box, removed the bag of cereals, and slipped his hand further inside the box to scoop out the stray cereal grains that somehow fell from the bag. What he didn't expect though, was to accidentally pop the box open from below. He was prepared to catch as much cereal as he could, but there was nothing that came out and the box was still shut. Taekwoon peeked inside the box and instead found some kind of compartment from within. He poured the rest of the box's contents on a free space on their counter. As expected, there were cereal grains that spilled out, but along with it, what looked like a folded knife also fell out. Now, it was normal to see knives in a kitchen, but discovering a butterfly knife carefully stashed inside a small compartment in a cereal box was screaming _suspicious_. 

Taekwoon didn't know if he should be surprised that Hakyeon was hiding a knife from him (he didn't need to), since they've gotten together in the first place because of a one-of-a-kind switchblade. It's a story for a different time, but at the moment, he was getting worried about his boyfriend's knife fascination. ' _How many knives does he actually have?_ ' He thought, fiddling with the butterfly knife on his hand until it locked. Staring at it for a while, he remembered Hakyeon's switchblade—the one that had his initials engraved on it—and somehow felt nostalgic about the feeling of its letters. He often did run his thumb over the letters _C.H.Y._ while he thought of Hakyeon before, but once he returned it to him, he had never seen it again. 

Taekwoon folded the knife back and stored it in one of his pockets to keep like he did with the rectangular object (which he has yet to identify the purpose of). And without any hesitation, he chucked the expired cereal in the bin and threw away the box in the recycling bag. Never mind that he was just thinking of what to eat earlier, he randomly picked up white bread from the counter and slumped down on their living room couch. While nibbling on his bread, he turned on his laptop that was sitting on the coffee table, already brainstorming about what he should type down on the search bar as soon as his laptop was all set. 

' _Knives_ ' was the first thing that he searched for. There was a variety of knives that he found in one website. The knife that he acquired moments ago was also listed in there. In another page, he learned that knives had different purposes outside of being a weapon or utensils for cooking. It reminded him of some of the movies that he watched before, like those ones that featured the Japanese seppuku, but he didn't want to dwell too much on such subjects. 

He tried to think outside of the box, of what reason could Hakyeon potentially have for keeping knives with him. His boyfriend didn't strike Taekwoon as someone who would use a knife for a weapon; he didn't even look like he would kill an insect no matter how much it might scare him. Eventually, he landed on a page titled ' _knife play_ ,' with thoughts that perhaps Hakyeon had the knives as toys or props, similar to those people who liked to dress up as fictional characters. But the moment he read the first line, his immediate reaction was to dismiss the idea that _that_ was why Hakyeon needed the knife. He was about to return to the previous page when he caught the words ' _wax_ ' and ' _rope restraints_ ' in the same paragraph. It left Taekwoon sitting there, frozen in place. He didn't know how long he had stopped chewing or how much time had passed since everything had sunk in. 

Taekwoon shook his head profusely, still unable to accept that his boyfriend might be fascinated in other practices outside of their usual. His cheeks were burning and his heart was beating so loud and rapidly against his chest as he continued to read on about all sorts of plays. He was aware that some people practiced these sort of things, but he didn't really delve deeper in the subject before. He was so _sure_ that what he and Hakyeon currently had was fine and satisfying for both of them, but now he was not too confident. 

"Taekwoon!" His boyfriend called out, coming fresh out of the bathroom. "What are you having? I know you're eating again!" 

He slammed his laptop shut at the speed of light. His cheeks had gone hot from all of that he had come across during his search and he had not doubt that Hakyeon would see how red he was. He would probably probe into it too. " _Bread_ ," Taekwoon choked out. "Opened a new bag—You finished quick." 

"Yeah, I just washed up." Hakyeon bent down to leave him a peck on the cheek. "I already took a shower in the morning." His smiling face changed to a frown when he pulled away, his eyebrows drawn together. "Are you okay? You're really warm." He pressed the back of his hand on Taekwoon's forehead and compared it to his. "I think you might have a fever?" 

"I-I'm fine," Taekwoon stuttered, turning away and avoiding his touch. He didn't think Hakyeon would go straight to the living room since he usually had some skincare routine that he would follow through every day and night. "It's hot in here—I'll open the windows." He brushed past him and headed straight to the windows. He fumbled with the window locks, but nonetheless managed to open them after several tries. 

"Are you sure you're okay?" Hakyeon still sounded concerned, but all Taekwoon could ever think of was his boyfriend and how he had probably thought of them in the bedroom doing those practices that he saw in the internet moments ago. He couldn't bear to look at him in the same way anymore—How could he, a bubbly and outgoing person, be so perverse in private? He didn't like Hakyeon any less, no, he was only so stunned and embarrassed at the thought of it—" _Yah_!" A slice on his neck interrupted him in his thoughts, "What kind of cook are you?" Hakyeon cried, pointing a finger at their kitchen. "You've made a mess!" 

Taekwoon rushed to the kitchen. "I'll clean it, _I'll clean it_! You open the other windows." 

His boyfriend didn't look any bit pleased, but for now, he was glad that he was saved and that Hakyeon didn't press too much about the subject. 

* * *

It was an unusual topic to bring up on the table when one is enjoying their breakfast, but it was not like Taekwoon had any other choice in the matter. It had been days since he started having sleepless nights and the thoughts that kept him awake didn't seem to end. He deliberated about possible courses of action that he could take, but he couldn't seem to reach a conclusion. Thoughts like his own willingness to take their bedroom experiences to another level had caused him a whole lot of stress. It had also been affecting his performance at work, as observed by his co-workers. Hongbin even suggested that he take a vacation and bring his boyfriend with him, but how could he possibly do that when Hakyeon was the _source_ of all his stress? He decided that he's had enough. Taekwoon was willing to give it a try if it would help in keeping his sanity and appeasing Hakyeon's needs. At the end of that day, he might come to understand and even _like_ the practices. It didn't hurt to try and educate oneself about the matter. 

"Let's do it," Taekwoon blurted out. "I've thought about it and... I... I could give it a try." 

" _Hmmm..._?" Hakyeon lifted his eyes from his oatmeal. "Give what a try?" 

Taekwoon took a sip of his coffee, doing his best not appear disconcerted. "You know... the thing you like." 

"What thing I like? Do you mean the candle making or something else? There are plenty of things that I like." His boyfriend took a spoonful of his breakfast. "My favourite cereal? You can have some if you want, no need to ask me." 

Taekwoon's pulse quickened, his breath hitching. Had Hakyeon already caught on the fact that he switched his favourite cereal box with a new one and that his knife was missing? Was that why he brought it up out of the blue? Or had he realized that he was referring to his appreciation of rather extreme bedroom practices? Regardless, he kept his answer safe, "Mhm, try what was inside your cereal box... And all the other things that you've been hiding." 

Hakyeon dropped his spoon, some of his warm oatmeal splattering on his hand. " _You found out_? And you want to _try_?" He plucked sheets of paper towels from their table and wiped at his skin. "Not just _anyone_ can do it, Taekwoon. Besides, don't you have your restaurant to run?" 

' _Is it_ that _intense?_ ' He wondered, his gaze fixed on his boyfriend's hands that were busy cleaning up the little mess that he made. ' _He must already be used to it—with all those candles..._ ' Taekwoon pushed himself and his chair away from the table, took the paper towels from Hakyeon's grasp and gingerly dabbed at his hands with it. "That's why I said I'll _try_. I want to do it for you..." 

For once, Hakyeon was speechless that he left him to take care of the rest. "You don't have to do it for me, Taekwoonie... I've had years of training and it would be difficult for you to suddenly change professions." 

" _What_?" He didn't remember reading anything about either roles being _professions_ outside of the pornography business nor did he imagine Hakyeon to do it as a living—Did that mean that he has other sexual partners besides him? A gasp escaped Taekwoon's lips and he lost grip on the dirty paper towels. "You've been doing those with _other_ people?" He spluttered, "And you never _thought_ about telling me? Why do you— _What's the point of being with me if you have other people that you do it with?_ " 

"What are you talking about? Are we talking about the _same_ thing?" Hakyeon demanded, rising to his feet. His oatmeal was soiled by the dirty paper towels anyway and Taekwoon seemed really shaken about the subject. "Hyuk, Ken, and I had known each other for a much longer time than I have known you. They're my friends, my colleagues—You were never this upset about my friends before. What's gotten into you? You're worrying me!" 

" _B.D.S.M_ , Hakyeon!" Taekwoon shouted on top of his voice, throwing his hands up. "Do you do it with them often? Because you've known them longer?" 

" _What_?" His boyfriend shrieked. "I thought _you_ were the one that was into that! I never brought it up because I figured that you would talk about it when you're ready! I thought we were talking about professions and here you are talking about sex! What the hell is wrong with you, Jung Taekwoon?" 

Taekwoon's shoulders slowly fell, his eyes wide in disbelief and his deep red blush began to spread from his cheeks to his ears and neck. "T-Then how do you explain the knives? The rope that I saw you carrying home one time? And the candles? How about that thing that looked like—like a remote control or something! What do any of those have to do with your profession? You said you work at a massage shop!" 

"Hyuk needed the rope for something so I got it on my way home for him," Hakyeon clarified, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "The candles were as I've told you. The remote looking thing, I don't know where you got that from. But the knives, I thought you always knew that I was collecting them? You even returned me my first one, remember? The switchblade? I didn't want to frighten you so I've hidden them..." 

"I—" Taekwoon hid behind his arm, too ashamed to face his boyfriend. "I've looked it up because I thought _you_ liked it! _You_ —Why were you on my laptop and checking my history!" 

Hakyeon heaved a sigh. He took Taekwoon's arm and forced him to drop it to his side. He cupped his heated face in between his hands. "I've been worried about you. You haven't been sleeping well these days so I had to check... I love you, Taekwoon. I love you and _only you_. I wouldn't ever think of anyone else." He drew him in closer and pressed his lips on Taekwoon's. " _But if what you said still applies, I wouldn't mind giving it a try too as long as you promise to take care of me..._ " Hakyeon breathed out only an inch away from his mouth, his eyes half-lidded. "You can do as you please with me... _Whatever you want_..." He brought his boyfriend's hands to his hips and reconnected their lips. This time, Taekwoon wrapped his arms around him, deepening their shared kiss. 

* * *

* * *

"Taekwoon-hyung took your taser. I saw him the other morning," Hongbin said as he was passing by Hakyeon's table. The latter didn't seem shocked that he figured out about his hidden weapon so he continued to prod, "Should I even be asking why you have it? Or why you had to hide it under a table in a _restaurant_?" 

"I know," Hakyeon sighed. "I already took it back from him—without his knowledge of course. And no, you shouldn't be asking and should be going about your work." He waved him away. "Look at your boss, look at Taekwoon doing his best in the kitchen." He gestured at his boyfriend through the small kitchen window with his chin. "Why can't you be like him and stay quiet, Mr. Heir-To-The-Company?" His lips curled in a triumphant smirk when he saw the horror on Hongbin's face. 

" _It's not fair_ ," the waiter growled through his teeth, his balled hands shaking at his sides. "I don't know what you're up to, but don't you dare tell Taekwoon-hyung about that—or anyone— _at all_. I've kept quiet about your little taser thing and stuck it back on the table when it fell. It's your fault that he found out about it in the first place!" 

Hakyeon shrugged. "I'm not too hung up about it." He picked up his chopsticks and absentmindedly mixed the remains of his ramen bowl. "If he found out, then he found out. It's not like I've harmed anybody by having it. It was simply a precaution, in case some lunatic comes in here and causes a ruckus. I mean, who knows who all these people are. They could be anyone. Just like how you're an heir, one of your customers out there could be a killer— _I_ could be a killer. But how would any of us know that? We wouldn't be able to tell, that's why it's good to keep things like a _stun gun_ for self defence. You never know when you might need it." 

"Tomato, _tomato_ —Same thing!" Hongbin rolled his eyes. "You watch too many dramas. What killer are you going on about?" He snatched Hakyeon's chopsticks from his grasp and also took away his bowl before he plays with them any longer. "And besides, you don't look like one. You're more likely to be the first victim if ever there really is a killer around." Before Hakyeon could utter another word, he had already stormed away to the kitchen. 

" _No seriously_..." Hakyeon said under his breath, not taking his gaze off of the waiter's back. "Believe it or not, your parents hired me." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and this is another one-shot relating to the neo hitman au~ there's a main story that's been hinted in this one, but i'm not sure if the main story would even be written... for now, i hope you enjoyed reading ^^
> 
> as usual, this story is crossposted in [tumblr](https://mamichu.tumblr.com/post/172770462525/) and also [aff](https://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1300087/)


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